Gathered at the newly redeveloped Union Station in downtown Denver after the polls closed Tuesday night, supporters were hopeful that Gov. John Hickenlooper would make his acceptance speech early in the evening before heading over to the Westin Hotel a few blocks away to celebrate with fellow Colorado Democrats.

That had been the plan, but as results gave GOP nominee Bob Beauprez an early lead that never quite let up that night, Hickenlooper, his chief of staff Roxane White, former City Attorney Doug Friednash and key campaign staffers kept their eyes on frequent updates and milled about on the third floor of the Crawford Hotel where all the balconies overlooked the cavernous first floor of the train station.

Casually meandering from a suite hosted by Sewald Hanfling Public Affairs and another one down the hall set up by stalwart supporters Larry Mizel and Rick Sapkin, the governor appeared both relaxed and a tad nervous at the same time.

Campaign aides and the media alike had forewarned the stall in vote counting in traditionally Democratic conclaves around the state and those votes would likely be for the incumbent. But watching Hickenlooper as he mosied through the crowds upstairs and accepted hopeful congratulations from numerous friends, one couldn’t help but notice that the governor was actually knocking on wood in the hallways of the hotel as if the fate of the election was somehow too up in the air for comfort.

Don’t worry, instructed Josh Hanfling in the crowded suite he hosted with RD Sewald. Hick, he said, would end up winning by some 2 percentage points. (And if the margin never materialized, Hanfling nervously disclosed, he’d have to fork over $1,000 to cover a bet.) In their Amendment 41 compliant suite which had been donated by the hotel and featured food and drinks underwritten by legal contributors, Hanfling and Sewald hosted an array of politicos ranging from Hickenlooper to Mayor Michael Hancock and a lively contingent of legislators, lobbyists, city figures and numerous friends who enjoyed pizza, beer and wine and cannolis.

A quick 30-second walk down the hall diagonally across from their suite was a slightly more upscale locale where Sapkin was holding down the fort and welcoming guests until Mizel arrived about 9 p.m. Denver Post Chairman Dean Singleton arrived early and parked himself in front of the large TV with its volume turned up all the way. He sipped on his Chardonnay and like other VIPS enjoyed the sumptuous spread featuring lobster kabobs, large shrimp and freshly shucked oysters sent up from Stoic and Genuine, the tony new dining spot on the first floor of Union Station. A bartender prepared cocktails, and fashionable young ladies with smiles on their faces delivered drinks to the overflow crowd in the hallway.

Sapkin, an integral member of Hickenlooper’s campaign finance committee, was also predicting an eventual 2-point victory and that seemed to be the consensus that night as Republicans and Dems alike traded possible political scenarios. Mizel was confident too. “I’m a homebuilder, of course I’m optimistic,” he chimed in.

Party politics at this election night soiree soon gave way to simple partying as this very eclectic group of Hickenlooper supporters (think union maven Ellen Golombek conversing with GOP business types and Democratic loyalist Frances Koncilja chatting with ultra stalwart GOP fundraiser Blair Richardson) waited for their election victory train to roll into the station.

See the Nov. 7 print edition for full photo coverage.

— By Jody Hope StrogoffJody@coloradostatesman.com

Tamra Ward, president of Colorado Concern, and Steve Katich, director of business development & government relations at JE Dunn Construction.

Denver Post Chairman Dean Singleton, flanked by Mayor Michael Hancock and Blair Richardson, watches election results in the Mizel-Sapkin suite.

Stanton Dodge, Phil Weiser, Ken Gart, Ken Tuchman and Rick Sapkin are all smiles at the prospect of a Hickenlooper reelection victory.